Shrimp feeding and cooking apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to a shrimp feeding and cooking apparatus in which the feed tank has a frame assembly pivotally mounted at an upper discharge end and which frame is positioned to support at an inclination an endless conveyor, a feed paddle over the conveyor and a cooker over the conveyor upstream of the feed paddle. The frame assembly and the elements carried thereby are swingable about the pivot to remove everything clear of the feed tank.

United States Patent 1 [4 1 July 10, 1973- Lapeyre SHRIMP FEEDING ANDCOOKING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: James Martial Lapeyre, New

Orleans, La.

[73] Assignee: The Laitram Corporation, New

Orleans, La.

22 Filed: Feb. 28, 1972 21 A trm;229,632

[52] U.S. Cl. 99/516, 17/71 [51] Int. Cl. A47j 27/04 v [58] Field ofSearch 99/516, 357, 404,

[56] I I References Cited y I UNITED STATES PATENTS. 3,024,822 3/1962Wilson et al 99/516 x Primary Examiner Leon'- G. MachlinAttarneywilkinson, Mawhinney & Theibault [57 ABSTRACT The presentdisclosure is directed to a shrimp feeding and cooking apparatus inwhich the feed tank has a frame assembly pivotally mounted at an upperdischarge end and which frame is positioned to support at aninclination-an endless conveyor, a feed paddle over the conveyor and acooker over the conveyor upstream of the feed paddle. The frame assemblyandfthe elements carried thereby are swingable about the pivot to removeeverything clear-of the feed tank.

9 Claims, Drawing Figures PAIENIEU J 1 0 I975 3, 7 44. 406 sum 3 or 5SHRIMP FEEDING AND COOKING APPARATU THE PRIOR ART The broad combinationof a feeder tank having an inclined conveyor and a-feed paddle is shownin FIG. 14 of U. S. Pat. No. 2,574,044 and to this combination was addeda cooker as shown in FIG. 2 of U. S. Pat. No.

An object of the present invention .is to provide a frame assemblywhichis pivoted at the top of the feeder tank so that the conveyor may bemoved clear of the tank for scrubbing and cleaning as well as renderingthe cooker movable relative to the conveyor for cleaning or using thetank and conveyor for processing either raw or cooked shrimp on theconveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an end less mat typeconveyor for shrimp made up from pivoted modular links which cooperatewith sprockets on a square shaft which sprockets may shift laterallyalong the shaft on which they are carried to accomodate for thermalexpansion incident to passage of the conveyor through the cold. water ofthe feed tank and through the heat zone beneath the cooker.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and

will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view with parts broken awayand parts shown in section of the apparatus of the present inventionhaving parts shown in solid line, section line and chain line.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the apparatus of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the conveyor and cookerelevated.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear of the conveyortaken at an enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken through the front drive portion.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a section of the conveyor employed withthe present invention.

Referring now to the drawings and for the moment to FIG. 1, l0designates a shrimp feeder tank having an inclined endless conveyor 11,with an oscillating feed paddle 12 above the conveyor 11 and a cooker 13above the conveyor 11 upstream of the paddle 12. The improvement of thepresent invention is directed to a frame assembly 14 pivoted at 15 tothe upper end of the feeder tank 10 for movement into and out of thetank, between the position of FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 and 4. There aresprocket means 16 and 17 on each end of the frame assembly forsupporting the endless conveyor 1 1, there are sprockets carried onsquare shafts 18 and 19 compelled to rotate therewith. There is a drivemotor 20 on the upper end of the frame for driving the endless conveyor11 through a gear reducer 21 and gear box 22. The feed paddle 12 ismounted at 23 on the frame assembly for swinging movement above theconveyor 11. A cooker 13 is pivotally mounted at 24 on the frame 14 formovement relative to the conveyor 11 upstream of the paddle 12.

THE DRIVE TRAIN modules 28 joined by pivot rods 29 as best seen in FIG.

7. This conveyor is shown and described in detail in my copendingapplication Ser. No. 63,523 filed Aug. 13, 1970. I

Cooperating with the endless conveyor ll are sprockets 16 and 17 whichhave square hubs and are carried by and compelled to rotate with squareshafts l8 and 19; 18 being driven by the output of worm gear box 22while 19 is mounted for free rotation. As best seen in FIG. 4, there area plurality of sprockets l6 spaced along shaft 18 to mesh with theadjacent openings in the modular link belt 11. One or more of thesprockets 18 are secured against movement along the square shaft 18while the other sprockets on that shaft are free to move along the shaftas dictated by thermal expansion and contraction of the conveyor 11 inits movement from cold water in feeder tank 10 to the steam cooker 13giving a wide range of thermal variance.

The lower end of conveyor 11 supported on the frame assembly 14, as bestseen in FIGS. 4 and 5, has a spring loaded tensioning device whichcomprises at each side of the frame assembly 14, a lobe 30 to which alink 31 is pivoted at 32 and which link has a telescopic arm 33 underloading of coil spring 34 to cause the plate 35 to shift the squareshaft 19 carrying sprockets l7 and the lower portion of the endlessconveyor mat 1 l to move between the solid line and chain line position.

SHRIMP FEED The feed paddle 12 is secured to a rock shaft 23 journaledfor swinging movement inside plates 36. Extending off the upper quadrantof shaft 23 is a rocker arm 37 which is pivotally connected to avariable length pitman drive arm 38 the other end of which is pivotallyconnected at 39 to a drive plate 40 driven by drive converter 26.Secured to the rear of the side plates 36 is a baffle 41, the lowerextremity of which terminates spaced above the endless conveyor 11. Therotary motion of plate 40, through arms 38, 37 imparts a swinging motionto the paddle 12 as shown by the arrows. The

amount of throw of each swing is controlled by shortening or lengtheningthe variable arm 38 which is threaded to permit of a variable throw. Thethrow of the paddle determines the quantity of shrimp which the paddleby wave action deposits on the conveyormat 11 between the paddle I2 andcooker 13.

The cooker 13, as best seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 isa box like structurehaving an open bottom and being supplied with steam through lines 42.The cooker 13 is shown in its down or cooking position, in FIG. 2, tocook shrimp carried on the conveyor mat 11 which pass beneath its openbottom. The unit is shown raised in FIG. 3, where it has pivoted aboutits pivotal connection 24 to permit cleaning of the unit. In accordancewith conventional practice a steam line is connected to the steammanifold 42 and is controlled by valves 43.

The endless conveyor is carried by the frame assembly 14, which as bestseen in FIG. 6, has a pair of longitudinal angle iron runners 14A and148. The frame has plates secured at each end for journaling the squareshafts and supporting sam-e as well as providing for the upper pivot 15which permits the entire conveyor mat and assembly of the paddle andcooker tov be moved from the down or operating position of FIGS. 1 and 2to the raised or cleaning position of FIGS. 3 and 4.

IN OPERATION The frame assembly 14 and the paddle assembly 12 and cookerunit all of which are connected together are placed in their loweredposition, best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The feed tank is then filled withwater to its overflow line 10A. The shrimp to be cooked are dumped intothe tank 10 rearwardly of the baffle 41. The motor 20 is started whichdrives the endless conveyor mat 11 and starts the paddle 12 to swingback and forth causing a wave like action in the water to deposit theshrimp into the conveyor mat 11 between the cooker 13 and the paddle 12.The shrimp pass beneath the cooker and with the steam valves 43 open theshrimp are cooked while being conveyed to the high end of the matconveyor from which they are removed for further processing or use.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a shrimp feeder tank having an inclined endlessconveyor, an oscillating feed paddle above said conveyor and a cookerabove said conveyor upstream of said paddle the improvement comprising aframe assembly pivoted at the upper end of said feeder tank for movementinto and out of said tank, means on each end of said frame assembly forsupporting said endless conveyor, drive means on the upper end of saidframe for driving said conveyor, feed paddle mount means on said frameassembly positioned above said conveyor,'and cooker means carried bysaid frame upstream of said paddle above said conveyor and pivoted formovement relative to said conveyor.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising bafflemeanscarried by said frame assembly downstream of said feed paddle abovesaid conveyor.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said endless conveyor is amat made up of plastic modules pivotally connected end to end and sideby side defining drive openings therebetween.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said drive means for saidconveyor comprises a motor driven square shaft, sprockets mounted onsaid shaft some of which are slidable along the axis of said shaft whilebeing compelled to rotate with said shaft and at least one of saidsprockets being fixed axially on said shaft and sprocket teeth about theperiphery of said sprocket to engage the endless conveyor mat throughsaid drive openings to drive said mat.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising drive means intrain with said conveyor drive to oscillate said feed paddle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said endless conveyor is formedprimarily of non-metallic (organic) plastic material.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting the lowerend of said endless conveyor is a sprocketed idler shaft journaled insaid frame assembly.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said conveyor belt is free to movelaterally along the axis of said idler shaft relative to one or more ofsaid sprockets.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conveyor belt has abelt-tensioning member on each end of said idler shaft.

l t t 8

1. For use with a shrimp feeder tank having an inclined endlessconveyor, an oscillating feed paddle above said conveyor and a cookerabove said conveyor upstream of said paddle the improvement comprising aframe assembly pivoted at the upper end of said feeder tank for movementinto and out of said tank, means on each end of said frame assembly forsupporting said endless conveyor, drive means on the upper end of saidframe for driving said conveyor, feed paddle mount means on said frameassembly positioned above said conveyor, and cooker means carried bysaid frame upstream of said paddle above said conveyor and pivoted formovement relative to said conveyor.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim1 further comprising baffle means carried by said frame assemblydownstream of said feed paddle above said conveyor.
 3. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said endless conveyor is a mat made up ofplastic modules pivotally connected end to end and side by side definingdrive openings therebetween.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3wherein said drive means for said conveyor comprises a motor drivensquare shaft, sprockets mounted on said shaft some of which are slidablealong the axis of said shaft while being compelled to rotate with saidshaft and at least one of said sprockets being fixed axially on saidshaft and sprocket teeth about the periphery of said sprocket to engagethe endless conveyor mat through said drive openings to drive said mat.5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising drive means intrain with said conveyor drive to oscillate said feed paddle.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said endless conveyor is formed primarilyof non-metallic (organic) plastic material.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the means for supporting the lower end of said endless conveyoris a sprocketed idler shaft journaled in said frame assembly.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7 wherein said conveyor belt is free to movelaterally along the axis of said idler shaft relative to one or more ofsaid sprockets.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conveyor belthas a belt-tensioning member on each end of said idler shaft.